Formula Student and the UAS Challenge

Driving Innovation:

Formula Student and the UAS Challenge

At Babcock, we’re passionate about shaping the future of engineering, and there’s no better way to do that than by supporting the brightest young minds through practical, real-world challenges. That’s why we’re proud to be a long-standing partner of Formula Student and the UAS Challenge, two of Europe’s most prestigious student engineering competitions.

Our role in the competition

As the official Artificial Intelligence (AI) Partner of Formula Student, we help students explore the cutting-edge technologies that are shaping the future of engineering. Our engineers and graduates volunteer as mentors, offering guidance on topics such as the integration of machine learning algorithms, sensor fusion, to data analytics, ensuring that these future leaders are well-prepared to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.

We also support the UAS Challenge by providing mentorship and expertise in autonomous systems and aerospace engineering. Our team collaborates with student competitors throughout the year, helping them understand the complexities of unmanned flight, including sensor integration, flight control systems, and mission planning.

Throughout both competitions, our team’s mentorship goes beyond technical aspects. We help students develop essential soft skills like teamwork, communication, and business planning — all crucial in any engineering career.

Why did we get involved?

We’re committed to addressing the engineering skills gap. By investing in the development of young engineers through Formula Student and the UAS Challenge, we’re not just contributing to the future of Babcock, we’re helping to ensure the sustainability and growth of the entire engineering industry.

Both competitions serve as a launchpad for budding engineers. Many of our current engineers first embarked on their journey with Babcock through these challenges, where they transformed classroom theory into practical, real-world solutions and experienced the excitement of bringing their designs to life. We’re proud to continue this tradition, empowering the next generation of engineers to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

“Supporting events like this is so important in supporting the next generation of technologists and engineers. The pack of development in both skills and technology in the AI field is incredible to see and we’re proud of all the teams that took part.”

Neil Young – Global Engineering Capability Director at Babcock

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Watch the video to see us in action at the

UAS Challenge

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Watch the video to see us in action at

Formula Student

“I spent 5 years with my Formula Student team, taking on various roles from engineering team member to Operations Manager. Those experiences have been invaluable in realising my potential, not only as an engineer but expanding beyond my degree in roles that have required commercial, project management and teamworking skills. At Babcock this has helped me work within our multidisciplinary teams and given me the capability to take on the many opportunities available here.”

Isla Thom – Formula Student Alumni and Advanced Manufacturing Graduate

“Competitions and events like UAS and Formula Student are vital proving grounds for young engineers. Your vehicle may crash, but that means you can go back, work through the challenge and learn from those mistakes. There are also the softer engineering skills you learn from events like this; working as part of a team, leadership, collaboration, understanding the different contributions each member brings to the table and how to take something from design concept into either an MVP or a fully functioning prototype. I took part in a similar design and build UAS project at university, our system only flew for about five seconds but it got me very interested in pursuing a career in this area! We hope this experience with IMechE encourages others to pursue a career in UAS.”

Dominic Ferrett – Chief UAS Technologist at Babcock

Read more on the iMechE website

“Formula Student has taught me a multitude of different skills and provided valuable knowledge into the manufacturing process, which can be utilised in the design process of other parts. Alongside this, Formula Student had a significant impact on my softer skills. By maintaining sponsor relations and participating in the static events at the competition, I was able to greatly enhance my customer-focussed approach to work and boost my self-confidence. These skills have transferred into my day-to-day job as a Mechanical Engineer within Babcock, where design for manufacture and maintaining customer relations are key priorities.”

Daniel Lazarus – Formula Student Alumni and Mechanical Engineering Graduate at Babcock

“The experiences that I had from Formula Student definitely helped to set me up for my first role. It was one of the first major projects that I worked on where I made mistakes. Making those mistakes allowed me and the team learn about ourselves but also how to overcome them as well.

It really helped to set me above a lot of other candidates when I was applying for roles. Having the academic requirements for a role is mandatory, but having the hands-on experience enables you to be able to demonstrate that you’re capable of delivering something.”

Nathan Vosper – Formula Student Alumni and Engineering Project Manager at Babcock.

Read about his full experience here

Join us on the journey

Whether you’re an aspiring engineer eager to make your mark, or simply someone passionate about innovation, Formula Student and the UAS Challenge embody the spirit of engineering. It’s about curiosity, collaboration, and the relentless pursuit of excellence – values that we share here at Babcock.

“For me, this is about safeguarding future skills and ensuring that as engineers we’re doing our bit to support the next generation. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the teams step up to this year’s challenge.”

Chris Dix – Babcock Engineer and FS-AI volunteer

If you’re looking to start your career with a company that’s dedicated to nurturing talent and driving innovation, Babcock might just be the place for you. Check out our undergraduate and graduate opportunities and see how you can be part of our next chapter.

No matter what you’ve studied,

In some parts of our business, we offer 12-month Industrial Work Placements and 10-12 week paid Summer Internships

Formula Student and the UAS Challenge